Former Spain boss Clemente accepts Iran job
MADRID, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Former Spain and Serbia coach Javier Clemente has
accepted an offer to take charge of the Iranian national side during the
qualification phase for the 2010 World Cup.
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'Yes, I've accepted the offer,' Clemente said on Monday. 'My aim is to help Iran
learn and improve as a team.'
The three-times Asian Cup winners have been without a coach since the departure
of Amir Ghalenoei after they were knocked out of the competition by South Korea
in the quarter-finals last July.
The Iran Football Federation (FFI) said last month they had appointed Clemente
but the Spaniard said his decision would depend on a visit to Iran.
'Last week's visit to Iran went well and it has been decided that I will go back
and forth between the two countries in order to coach the team,' said Clemente.
Clemente, who coached Spain from 1992 to 1998, was sacked by Serbia in December
after failing to steer the team to the Euro 2008 finals.
Iran coach Javier Clemente
Factbox on Javier Clemente who agreed on Monday to take over
as coach of Iran for their 2010 World Cup qualifying
campaign:
* Born: Barakaldo near Bilbao, March 12, 1950.
* Forced to abandon a promising career as a striker with
Athletic Bilbao at the age of 24 because of a knee injury.
He returned to the club as assistant coach four years later
before taking over as first-team coach in 1981.
* Steered Bilbao to league title in 1983, their first since
1956, and the league and cup double the following season in
the first of three spells in charge of the Basque team. In
his last stint between 2005 and 2006 he took over when
Bilbao were bottom of the Primera Liga. He steered them
clear of relegation but was sacked after criticising their
transfer policy.
* Led Espanyol to the UEFA Cup final against Bayer
Leverkusen in 1988. They lost on penalties after winning the
first leg 3-0
* Took over as coach of Spain from Vicente Miera after they
failed to qualify for Euro 92 in Sweden. He guided them to
the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. and
repeated the feat at Euro 96 in England.
* Was in charge of Spain for 62 matches between 1992 and
1998 including a 31-match unbeaten run. Finished with 36
wins and 20 draws. Resigned after Spain went out of the 1998
World Cup in the first round and lost 3-2 to Cyprus in their
opening Euro 2000 qualifier.
* Has coached a host of leading clubs including Atletico
Madrid, Real Betis, Tenerife, Real Sociedad and Olympique
Marseille.
* Was appointed Serbia coach in July 2006. Sacked after they
finished third in Euro 2008 qualifying Group A behind Poland
and 2004 finalists Portugal.
New Iran coach Javier Clemente doesn't give a damn about politics
02/12/2008
"Russians, Chinese, communists, capitalists, blacks or whites are all the same to me. I'm a soccer coach and I don't understand, nor want to understand, anything else," Clemente said.
New Iranian soccer coach Javier Clemente said he couldn't care less about politics and that his sole aim is to get Iran to qualify for the World Cup.
"Russians, Chinese, communists, capitalists, blacks or whites are all the same to me. I'm a soccer coach and I don't understand, nor want to understand, anything else," Clemente told Spanish sports daily AS in its edition Tuesday.
"I'm going there to try to qualify Iran for the 2010 World Cup and I couldn't give a hoot about anything else.''
Clemente announced the agreement with the Iranian soccer federation Monday from the northern Basque city of Bilbao, close to the town of Zarautz, where he lives. No financial details were disclosed.
MADRID, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Newly appointed Iran coach Javier Clemente has
said he is inspired by the task of trying to steer the team to qualification
for a fourth World Cup.
"For me it is a really great challenge," the 57-year-old Spaniard told
sports daily AS on Tuesday. "They live football there with exactly the same
emotion as here. It's really beautiful."
The former Spain and Serbia coach accepted the offer from the Iranian
Football Federation on Monday, agreeing to take charge of the three-times
Asian Cup winners during the qualification phase for the 2010 World Cup.
Clemente, who visited Iran last week, said he believed the team had a real
possibility of making the tournament in South Africa.
"The players are very skilful, but a little slow," he said. "They play a
patient passing game and there is plenty of work to do, but they have been
Asian champions and they have potential."
Clemente confirmed he would continue to live in the Basque Country on the
north coast of Spain and would travel to Iran in order to prepare for
matches.
"I will live in my house on the beach in Zarautz and travel to Tehran a week
or two before the games and whenever is necessary," he said.
"To be coach of Iran you don't have to live there. You can only see one
match live at a time and the rest you have to study on the video and as far
as I know the video works the same in Tehran and Zarautz.]
"Iran is just like Spain in that there are only 30 or so players that really
need to be followed and that isn't such a difficult task. You compile
reports about each one and the squad will develop from that.
"My aim is to get Iran into the 2010 World Cup and I'm not concerned about
anything else."
Iran have played at three World Cups in 1978, 1998 and 2006.